Transportation Safety


The two DOT agencies are conducting audits, and PHMSA is making unannounced inspections, to ensure railroads

North Dakota Sets Rules for Making Oil Safer to Transport

The North Dakota Industrial Commission on Dec. 9 issued an order spelling out conditioning standards that all wells must use, effective April 1, 2015, "to improve the marketability and safe transportation" of Bakken crude oil.

Tire maintenance and awareness of tire life and recalls are what the campaign wants to educate consumers about.

Broad Tire Safety Educational Program Announced

The White House outlined several actions the U.S. Department of Transportation is taking through 2017, including issuing a final rule that establishes a tire fuel efficiency consumer information program, partnering with NASCAR on a Drive for Safety initiative in next year's racing season, and working with tire manufactures, fuel distributors, and tire retailers to kick off a Tire Safety Awareness Month from Dec. 9, 2014, to Jan. 9, 2015.

CSX Safety Train Finishes 2014 Tour

Skip Elliott, vice president of public safety, health and environment for CSX, said this year, "we expanded our outreach with first responders and emergency personnel to include training specific to crude oil movements along key routes."

Some locations, operations, or hazmat personnel may require security awareness training that includes security risks associated with their specific tasks and methods designed to enhance security.

Wreaths Across America Tour Under Way

The American Trucking Associations' Share the Road truck and dozens of other trucks are delivering handmade wreaths to veterans' cemeteries and educating students and the public about trucking safely along the way.

Tire, Rubber Manufacturers Participating in NTSB's Tire Safety Symposium

The board has posted the agenda for the Dec. 9-10 event, which will be webcast live.

NTSB Recommends Improvements for Certifying Lithium-ion Batteries

The agency determined that shortcomings in design and certification led to the fire in a battery being installed on a Boeing 787.

NETS and NHTSA remind us that wearing seat belts while traveling this week is essential.

Take Heed of Holiday Driving Tips

Buckle up, eliminate distractions, and drive sober, the Florida Highway Patrol reminds us.

FRA Issues Roadway Worker Authority Limits Advisory

It is intended to protect rail employees working on active tracks, or right-of-ways, under the supervision of a dispatcher.



London Tube Fire Started By Electrical Fault, Brigade Reports

The London Fire Brigade reported 35 firefighters and officers responded to the fire, which damaged a small section of the front carriage of a train on platform 6 and a section of track. There were no injuries.

National Safety Council Announces Support of NHTSA Administrator Nomination

The NSC sent out a message showing their support for Mark Rosekind.

Grain, Coal Shipments Outpacing Crude Oil for U.S. Freight Railroads

"America's railroads are moving more traffic since the recession. Business production and consumer demand are increasing, and rail is playing a bigger part in getting American goods to market," the Association of American Railroads' president and CEO, Edward R. Hamberger, said Nov. 20.

Driver William D.W. Scott

Washington State Patrol Cites Trucker in Skagit River Bridge Collapse

Driver William D.W. Scott's truck was permitted to carry a load no taller than 15 feet, 9 inches, but his load, a metal casing, measured 15 feet, 11 inches. The load struck 11 of the bridge's sway braces as the truck crossed the bridge.

NSC Estimates 418 Fatalities from Crashes This Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

The safety council also provided tips for staying safe on the roads.

FAA's Latest Safety Briefing Focused on Winter Flying

The issue's Jumpseat department is written by Flight Standards Service Director John Duncan and reviews some winter weather wisdom, and its Checklist explains how to reduce the risk of carburetor fires.

'Punitive Culture' Cited in NTSB Findings on Alaska DPS Helicopter Crash

The safety board also cited the pilot's decision to continue flying into deteriorating weather conditions.

FAA

FAA Sets New Icing Standards for New Transport Aircraft

"While flying is already incredibly safe, I want passengers to know that we're setting even higher standards for new airplanes so they can fly safely in icing conditions," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.

Passenger Vehicle Tire Safety Symposium Announced

Issues to be discussed during the Dec. 9-10 event include vehicle handling and dynamics after tire disablement, the identification and analysis of tire disablement-related crashes, tire registration and recall, tire aging and service life, recent advances in tire technology, tire maintenance, and consumer awareness.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication promises to prevent thousands of collisions and injuries annually, DOT and NHTSA believe. (Image downloaded from NHTSA August 2014 report)

Revving Up V2V

Vehicle-to-vehicle technology "represents the next great advance in saving lives," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has said.

Canada's Transport Minister Pledges World-Class Tanker System

Lisa Raitt also said Transport Canada has responded to all of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's recommendations in its final report on the Lac-Mégantic crude oil train derailment.

The safety board determined that the engineer of this Metro-North Railroad train fell asleep and exceeded the posted speed limit in this curve. (NTSB image)

NTSB Cites Ineffective Safety Management in Five Metro-North RR Accidents

One day after New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced it is hiring David L. Mayer, a former NTSB managing director, as its new chief safety officer, the federal agency announced it will hold a Nov. 19 meeting to discuss the safety issues identified in its five investigations.

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